Police have launched an investigation after a binman was seriously injured when he became pinned between his truck and a car which had collided with the vehicle.

The man was working behind the lorry when it was involved in a crash with a Ford Fiesta in North Street in Middle Barton, between Bicester and Chipping Norton, on Tuesday. The worker, in his 50s, was taken to hospital with serious leg injuries.

West Oxfordshire District Council’s waste contractor, Ubico, confirmed the incident was being investigated by police.

Managing director Beth Boughton said. “The health and safety of our teams is of utmost importance and we take every available precaution to make sure our staff are safe.

“The incident is being investigated by Thames Valley Police and Ubico is cooperating fully with their inquiries. This is a horrible experience for the individual affected and his colleagues and we are giving them our full support.”

Police have appealed for witnesses.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service tweeted that they had recently attended a competition where the team faced numerous road traffic collision scenarios.

Oxford Mail: Middle Barton bin lorry crash

They tweeted: “One of the scenarios they faced was a person pinned between a recycling lorry and a car. At around 10am this morning, Blue Watch at Kidlington Fire Station attended an almost identical incident in Middle Barton on the B4030.

“Emergency responders worked together to ensure that one casualty was extricated from between the two vehicles and was taken to hospital for further medical treatment.”

Anyone with information can contact police by calling 101 or making a report online, quoting reference 43210447832.